In general, pistols come from the factory with iron sights. Typical iron sights provided on a pistol include a front post and a rear notch which must be aligned to aim the pistol.
Mounting an optical sight (e.g., a reflex type sight) on a pistol offers a shooter several advantages over using iron sights alone. First, reflex type sights provide a simple sight picture comprised of a single illuminated aiming point in place of the front post and rear notch of iron sights. In this way, a shooter's accuracy and/or speed with a pistol may improve. Second, a shooter may be able to aim with the illuminated aiming point of an optical sight in environmental conditions that would make visual alignment of the iron sights difficult or impossible, low light conditions for example.
However, given the design of most pistols, attaching an optical sight may be difficult to do. In order to accommodate an optical sight, the slide of the pistol may need to be permanently modified (e.g., milled) in order to receive an optical sight thereon. If the user decides to switch to a new model of optical sight, further modifications to the pistol may be required. In some instances, the pistol may not be suitable for further modification.
Mounting an optical sight directly to the slide of a pistol can have several disadvantages. First, the slide of the pistol may be weakened from machining a pocket therein for the optical sight. Second, the rapid acceleration and deceleration of the slide during operation (e.g., firing) will place forces (e.g., longitudinal forces) on the optical sight that may reduce its service life. Third, the optical sight adds additional mass to the slide which may affect the reliable operation of the pistol. For example, the action of the pistol may be unable to reliably lock or unlock as a result of the additional mass on the slide.
Accordingly, it can be seen that needs exist for continuing improvement in optical sight mounts. It is to the provision of an optical sight mount that may be integrated into the frame of a handgun that the present invention is primarily directed.